The Darkness That Lives There
by Morgan Sulfur
Summary: The Key of Ancients, a powerful object, has been lost for over two thousand years, and now a deadly enemy is working towards getting their hands on it. Its Skulduggery's and Valkyrie's job to find it before anyone else does. Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my second story but IS NOT a sequal to 'HIS LOST CHILD' ,you should still read it beacuse it's amazing. If anything this could have happened before His lost child, i didn't mean for it to to be this way, it just did...I Know, I'm Mentaly unstable.**

**Sequal to _his lost child_ called _rise of the Leera_, coming soon. (Don't worry, this story is short)**

**Enjoy.**

**Morgan Sulfur xXx**

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It was dark here. It was always dark here. This place was filled with an evil that sent shivers down sorcerer's backs. This evil was patient. Watching and waiting for her to come. The evil's patience had paid off. The good one had finally come.

"You have come." The evil, disembodied voice said.

"I have, do you know why I'm here?" Asked the good girl, she waited for the evil to speak again.

"Yes I do."

"Can you help me?"

The evil one chuckled. "Of course I can, am I not all powerful?"

The good girl didn't answer and she felt an agonising pain in her head.

The evil spoke again and this time she sounded a little frustrated. "Am I not all powerful?"

"You are, you are all powerful!" The good one cried and immediately the pain stopped.

"Good. Now I am willing to help you with your little problem, but I want something in return though."

The good girl hesitated; anything that this evil wanted wasn't good and could have a disasters impact. But was it worth it...

...Yes, yes it was. "What is it that you want?"

"The Key of Ancient."

"What is that?"

"You will find out soon, but only after I have it will _I_ help _you_."

The good girl nodded, knowing that she had just made a deal with the devil.

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**Let me know what you all think, please...pretty please...pretty please with a cherry on top. xxxxxxx**


	2. Dream Of Me

He was a really fit guy, with brown hair and the deepest of blue eyes. He smiled as he tucked some of her dark hair behind her ear then he stroked her check. His gaze lower to her lips and he slowly leaned in. "Wake up." He breathed.

Valkyrie frowned. Why was this really fit guy telling her to wake up? Where was the kissing?

"Wake up." He said again.

"No! Bugger off." Valkyrie said.

"Valkyrie Cain you get your butt moving NOW!"

Valkyrie's eyes shot open to see Skulduggery in his usual neatly pressed suit standing by her bed.

"What the heck are you doing in my house, go away!"

"The Sanctuary was broken into last night, but that's OK I'll just leave you to your beauty rest, it really is more important!"

Valkyrie sat bolt right up in bed and looked at him. "What!" she said loudly. She panicked then whispered. "Are my parents here?"

"No they left, do you really think I'm stupid enough to sneak in here and wake you with your parents in the next room?"

"Well…"

"Don't answer that."

"I was going to say no."

"No you weren't."

"Yes I was."

"Really?"

"No."

"Anyway last night the sanctuary was broken into, I don't know the details yet but Ghastly called me, wants us to come in straight away."

"Well when his majesty calls, his loyal subjects must come running." Valkyrie said sarcastically.

"Indeed."

"Turn around." Valkyrie instructed.

He nodded and turned round. As soon as his back was turned she threw a pillow at him.

"That's for waking me up!"


	3. M&M

Valkyrie was surprised to see both Ghastly and Erskine standing by the entry to the sanctuary waiting for them, she was even more surprised by the heavily armed Cleavers guarding them.

"Thank god you're both here!" Ghastly sounded very tired.

"What happened?" Valkyrie asked concerned.

"I think it would be best if we just showed you." Erskine said gravely.

Skulduggery nodded and followed them inside the sanctuary doors.

The first thing Valkyrie noticed was that everybody was running around in a panic and people were talking in serious voices. Everybody looked on edge and alert.

"Where are we going Ghastly?" Skulduggery asked.

"The medical room."

"Why?"

"You'll see."

They didn't have to wait long as medical wing wasn't far. Ghastly pushed open the door and ushered them inside.

"Oh My God!" Valkyrie exclaimed when she saw the contents of the room. Skulduggery, however, didn't react.

There were two people lying in bed, one looked extremely pale that the tattoos which covered her body stood out and was fast asleep. It was impossible to know if the second person was pale and asleep because of the veil that covered her face.

"But…But…That's Melancholia St Clair and Madame Mist!"

"Indeed, someone broke into the sanctuary last night and poisoned them both."

"You think the sanctuary being broken in to is bad, MY LAB WAS VIOLATED!" Nye screeched at them. "Some...criminal came into my lab and took the poison from my shelves."

"Oh, shut up Nye!" Erskine told it.

"Any evidence as to who did this?" Skulduggery asked.

"None, and that's why you're here." Ghastly said.

Erskine ran him hand through his hair. "I don't understand what Melancholia and Madame Mist have in common."

Valkyrie agreed.

"Has anything been stolen?" Skulduggery asked.

Ghastly shrugged. "We have people looking but this place has hundreds of magical artifacts, we have no idea where to start looking."

"Any sign of forced entry?"

"No windows smashed and no doors kicked in."

Valkyrie looked at skulduggery. "What do we do?"

"Have a look round Valkyrie, see if you spot any clues."

"And you'll just stand there and do nothing."

"I'm thinking, I'd hardly call that nothing. I'm trying to work out the connection melancholia has with Madame Mist."

"Fine." She replied grumpily.

Valkyrie started looking round the room, under the beds and out in the corridor.

But there was nothing.

Valkyrie walked back in to the other room just in time to see Skulduggery's head tilt.

"What have you figured out?" she asked him. She then became aware that everyone had turned to look at them.

"Amazing, the person who did this is amazing!"

"You do know who you're praising, right?" Ghastly asked skeptically.

"I know, but this person is brilliant."

"Have you figured out the connection between them?" Erskine said as he stepped closer to skulduggery.

"There is no connection."

"What?" they all shouted in a confused voice at the same time.

"That's why I was saying that this person is brilliant. Melancholia is a decoy, meant to distract me. Melancholia is not the target and has nothing to do with this.

The target is Madame Mist."

"OK, makes sense. But they didn't kill Mist they just put her in a coma."

"I don't think this person wanted them dead…I think that Madame Mist has information that this person didn't want us to know."

"Were not following you." Ghastly sounded exhausted and Valkyrie nodded her agreement.

Skulduggery turned to his partner. "What does Madame Mist know that nobody else does?"

"Ummm…"

"Think Valkyrie."

"The diaries of the previous Grand Marge's." Erskine said.

"Exactly, the same books that only Madame Mist bothered to read."

Erskine turned to a cleaver. "Go look; tell me which ones are missing."

The Cleaver nodded and hurried away.

"Whatever information was in those books the person who broke in here now knows. We need Madame Mist awake so we know what we're dealing with."

"We don't need Madame Mist." Ghastly said.

"Why?" Asked Valkyrie.

"Because I've read most of them."

"Thank goodness." Erskine sighed.

The Cleaver hurried back into the room and whispered something in Erskine's ear.

Erskine looked at Ghastly. "The very first diary has been stolen."

Ghastly nodded. "Whoever took the book is after the Key Of Ancients.


	4. The Key

**I'd like to thank all the people who have reviewed my story. THANK YOU!**

**Morgan Sulfur xXx**

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"What exactly is the Key of Ancients?" Skulduggery asked Ghastly.

"It's a powerful object that allows the holder to have any one question they want answered." Ghastly told them

They were driving towards a possible location of the Key of Ancients that Ghastly had read in journals.

"Any question?" Valkyrie asked. She was finding it really odd that Skulduggery and she were asking Ghastly about all this when it is usually Skulduggery who knew everything.

"Every question that has an answer." He told her

"Wow."

Skulduggery nodded. "Any idea who wants it?"

"I thought it was a myth up until a few hours ago."

Ooo0ooO

The building was old and half buried by the elements. There was very little of the building left on the surface, however there were 14 floors of decaying, crumbling floors underground.

This is where the journals said the key was last seen.

"We'll need to split up if we're going to search the place quickly." Valkyrie suggested.

"Agreed, Ghastly take the bottom floors, Valkyrie the middle and unless you're stupid and can't see where I'm going with this, I'll be at the top."

They all nodded and headed off to their designated floors.

Ghastly was feeling quite smug as he walked through the old corridors, it wasn't every day that he knew something the grate skeleton detective didn't. Ghastly hadn't been looking long when he found the only room in the building with a lock on the door.

"Where's Tanith when you need her?" Ghastly muttered. _Oh yes, she's with manic because there's an evil soul running around inside her._

He kicked again and again but the door didn't yield, he was about to call for Skulduggery when the door blew off its hinges. Finally.

In the room was a raised, square concrete block with a blue, glowing object in the middle.

Ghastly walked towards it. Up close it looked like a small hand held mirror with an intercut deign twirling around the edges.

Ghastly smiled and reached up his hand to take it what a sharp pain across his head stopped him. His eyesight dimmed and he fell into oblivion.

Several floors above Ghastly, Skulduggery was getting bored. Looking in empty room after empty room was boring. He is a man of action he didn't do looking, of course he couldn't tell Valkyrie that because he had told her a number of occasions that it's part of being a detective.

"Skulduggery! Valkyrie!"

Skulduggery whipped his head towards the sound. It was Ghastly, shouting.

He took off running, along corridors and down stairs. About one floor from Ghastly Skulduggery became a where that Valkyrie was running alone side him.

"What happened?" she asked.

"No idea."

Ghastly was sitting on the floor and looked up as they entered. "Well, I found the key."

"Where is it?" Valkyrie asked.

"Gone, I was about to pick it up when someone knocked me out from behind."

"And they took the key." Skulduggery sighed.

"Yes."

Skulduggery started pacing.

"Shouldn't we go after them?" Ghastly asked him from his place on the floor.

Skulduggery was silent, he paced for awhile longer. Then he stopped and his head dropped and his shoulders sagged. "Of course."

"What?" Ghastly asked.

Skulduggery didn't speak.

"We should go after them; they could still be in the area!" Ghastly yelled at him.

"Your right, they are still here."

"What?"

"I always said this person was clever, very clever almost as if they knew what to do to confuse me. Someone who could go in and out of the sanctuary without suspicion, someone who the sanctuary trusts. Someone who knows my methods well."

"You mean someone close to you?"

Skulduggery nodded and turned to look at his partner. "You've been very quiet Valkyrie."

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**That's right people; Valkyrie betrayed them, dah dah daaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!**

**Stay tuned for the last chapter.**

**Morgan Sulfur.**


	5. Till Next Time, Goodbye!

**Morgan Sulfur Spring**

**Morgan Sulfur Spring is in lower Curry Canyon, Morgan Territory, found part way down Sulfur Spring Canyon, which drains from Windy Point to Curry Creek. May have been named by Mary Bowerman, who designated it as "Morgan Sulphur Spring" probably for the Morgan family for whom the area is named.**

**Pretty Cool.**

**Enjoy the last chapter,**

**Morgan Sulfur xXx**

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Valkyrie hung her head. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

"Give the key to me." Skulduggery held his hand out towards her expectantly.

She shook her head. "Not yet."

"Valkyrie?" Ghastly said in confusion.

"I'm sorry that I hit you."

"Give the Key to Skulduggery right now or…"

"You won't fire me."

"And why is that?"

"Because very soon you'll be thanking me."

"You know I can't let you leave with it Valkyrie." Skulduggery told her.

"Why?"

"Because that key has the possibility to create mass destruction in the wrong hands."

"Are you questioning my ability to keep it safe?"

"Please, please Valkyrie just give it to me."

She looked at skulduggery and Ghastly then shook her head.

"I'm sorry." She turned and ran. Her hand reached into her pocket as she ran and she gripped the key in her hand.

"Where is she?" she whispered.

She got her answer.

Ooo0ooO

Valkyrie looked up at the electric blue sign above the door of the bar. She didn't like this place, it was filled with truckers and bickers. This was a small bar on the side of a busy road, it was dark and not the place Valkyrie wanted to hang around in.

She closed her eyes and concentrated.

_Hello? _She whispered in her mind.

_I am here._ Said the evil one.

_Darquesse._ The good one replied.

_Valkyrie, have you brought me what I wanted_? Darquesse asked in a board voice.

_Yes I have done my part of the bargain, now it's your turn._

Darquesse rose to the surface and Valkyrie was pushed deep down inside herself. Darquesse opened her eyes and smiled, it was good to be free again.

She reached inside her pocket and drew out the key. It was beautiful and pulsing with power. It was beautiful in it delicacy…

…until Darquesse crushed it in her hand.

_WHAT ARE YOU DOING! _Valkyrie screamed in her mind.

Darquesse smiled. _I need to make sure that no one can ask how to destroy me._

She walked into the bar and spotted Tanith and Sanguine sitting in one of the booths. They both looked up as she came towards them.

"Valkyrie!" sanguine yelled in shock.

Darquesse wasn't concerned with the mortals sitting in the bar, they were all too drunk to remember what was about to happen here.

"Guess again."

"Darquesse." Tanith whispered.

Sanguine went grey and his eyes darted to the floor.

"Leave." Darquesse ordered him. He immediately sank into the ground.

Darquesse sat opposite to Tanith.

"Someone's not happy you're here." She stated.

Tanith sighed. "By 'someone' do you mean Valkyrie?"

"Of course."

"I don't care about her, all I've done is for you, to help you destroy the world. Tell me how I can help."

"You can't."

"What?"

"We made a deal you see, I got what I wanted, The Key, now she gets what she wants and I don't hurt anyone in the process."

"And what does Val want."

"You."

Darquesse's hand shot out and she placed her finger over Tanith's lips, her eyes grew wide as Darquesse slowly drew her finger away. With it came a long black shadow that she cupped in her hand. Tanith slumped forward. Darquesse smiled at the black soul as its screams filled her head, her hand slowly closed and the evil that had been tormenting Tanith for so long was destroyed.

Valkyrie looked over at her friend. It was over. Ghastly would forgive her when he saw Tanith.

Tanith stirred and lifted her head, she blinked like the light hurt her eyes.

Her eyes settled on Valkyrie.

"Val?" she said shakily. "What happened?"

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**And thats it, all done. my next story is called Rise Of The Leera and is the sequal to His Lost Child.**

**Thank you,**

**Morgan Sulfur xXx**


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